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Laurence Espagno (11 months ago)
Beautiful building
Beautiful building
The Château de Beauville foundations date from the end of the 13th century. Most of the building dates from a 16th-century reconstruction. The castle had a T-shaped plan but one of the wings was destroyed. Part of the castle has retained a crown of machicolations. Some tall windows have double mullions. There is a large interesting staircase inside and old kitchens.
In 1574, François de Beauville led the successful defence of the castle against the Protestants. It was used as Gendarmerie barracks from 1831 to 1976. In 1874, the commune was ordered to make repairs to damage caused to the barracks by the establishment of a byway.
The castle consists of a home of the late 16th century which has a wing whose foundations date from the old castle at the end of the 13th century. The thickness of the walls, the quality of the stones, the refinement of their dressing, demonstrate the use of particularly competent stone cutters and land surveyors.
The 16th-century part of the building is decorated with mullioned windows. Renaissance architecture is also present in the entrance door and fireplaces. A wing of the building was rebuilt in the 19th century.
References:The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.